Road construction



F. R. WILSON ROAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec.

May 26, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet l W ML May 26, 1931. F. R. wlLsoN ROAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. y 22, 1927 2 Sheel'fS-Sheefl 2 INVENTOR Patented May 26, 1931 FREDERIGK B. WILSON, F CANONSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA ROAD CONSTRUCTION Application led December 22, 1927. Serial No. 241,948.

This invention relates to road construction. It relates more particularly to road construction of the type wherein a mass of road material is divided by a dividing means embedded therein and extending generally parallel to the road surface. The invention relates still more particularly to a method and means for constructing a road of such type and for supporting the dividing means.

The invention further relates to a novel dividing plate for use in road construction and to novel supporting means therefor and to novel means for maintaining adjacent sections of the dividing plate in alignment.

It is common practice in road construction which employs a mass of road material such as concrete or the like to divide such mass of road material into smaller segregated masses for the purpose of preventing cracking and deterioration thereof due to expansion and contraction. When a 'large mass of material having any appreciable coeicient of expansion is laid in a road, such mass will almost invariably crack due to changes in temperature and due to shocks imparted to the road by tralic passing thereover. By dividing up the road into segregated masses the expansion and contraction of the road material may take place in each of such masses without causing'cracking or deterioration thereof. v

Roads are made of masses ofroad material of various thicknesses depending u on the size and location of the road and t e'purpose for which it is intended. This is true of roads having concrete roadbeds, and for y purposes of illustration I shall herein refer to roadbeds made of concrete, it being understood that the present invention is equally 40 applicable to roadbeds formed of other materials.

It is customary to provide concrete roadbeds with dividing means extending generallyparallel to the road surface for dividing the mass of concrete in the roadbed into smaller segregated masses ofv such size that ordinary expansion and contraction thereof Will'not cause cracking.` The usual dividing means comprises a metal plate embedded in the concrete and extending'from a point at or very close to the road surface to the bottom of the roadbed. In other words, the dividing plates which have heretofore been used have been generally of a depth substantially equal to the depth of the roadbed. With roadbeds of different depths it has consequently been necessary to provide dividing plates of dierent depths, one size of dividing plate being adapted for use only with a roadbed of the corresponding depth. Due to this fact large stocks of dividing plates of various dierent sizes must be kept on hand for the construction of roads having roadbeds of different depths.

The dividing plates are supported by means known in the art as chairs. ,TheseI chairs have been embedded in the concrete forming the roadbed and have had plate supporting portions extending downwardly to the bottom of the roadbed in order to underlie and support the plates. In order to firmly embed and fasten the chairs in the roadbed, they have also been provided with portions extending a considerable distance upwardly from the bottoms of the respective dividing plates. Consequently the chairs have been of great weight and have contained a large bulk'of material. Furthermore, for each plate size a corresponding chair has been rovided so that a large stock of chairs of 'Herent sizeshasA also been necessary.

I have devised a method of road construction and a dividing plate and supporting means therefor eliminating the necessity of the provision of plates and chairs of various lsizes to correspond with roadbeds of various thicknesses.

I provide a dividing plate of predetermined standard size which, when used in conjunction with my novel method of road construction, is adapted for use in a roadbed irrespective of its depth.` I further provide supporting means for the dividing plate also of predetermined standard dimensions and adapted to cooperate with my standard plate.

In accordance with my "invention, the. standard plate is disposed in the upper portion of the roadbed, the top thereof lying at l or a short distance below the road surface, as has been heretofore customary. The depth of the dividing plate, however, is substantially less than the depth of any roadbed with which it is intended to be used. It divides the upper portion of the roadbed into substantially segregated masses but does not extend through the lower portion of the roadbed to divide it in like manner.

In order to make effective use of a standard plate, it is necessary to make provision for dividing the roadbed not only at its upper portion but also below the bottom of 'the plate so that the roadbed will be substantially entirely divided. To this end I provide a weakened plane in the roadbed below the dividing plate such that the lower portion of the roadbed is adapted to crack substantially along such weakened plane whereby t0 effect the division of the roadbed throughout its entire depth.

When the upper portion only of the roadbed is dividedand the lower portion is left undivided upon pouring of the concrete or other road material, the expansion and contraction in the upper portion will be taken care of without any tendency to crack. The lower portion, however, comprising a much greater mass of road material, will tend under expansion and contraction to crack at,

its weakest section. In accordance with my invention the weakest section is purposely provided below the dividing plate. The lower portion will therefore crack along the weakened plane above mentioned which is ordinarily substantially the same plane as lthat of the body of the dividing plate, and

thus after such cracking the roadbed will be effectively substantially entirely divided. The cracking of the roadbed at the lower portion thereof does not in any way affect the upper portion and has no tendency to produce any deterioration of the roadbed Yat or near its surface. The roadbed thus formed is durable and withstands any ordinary temperature variations and shocks imparted to it by vehicular traiiic.

My invention does not alter the usual or approved methods of nishing the road surface. It does, however, reduce the cost of road construction to a very great extent not only in the weight of material used and in the consequent cost of the material and of transportation and handling thereof, but also in the cost of labor necessary to construct the road. My invention is equally applicable for `use in either mesh or bar type reinforcing, as will be more specifically pointed out below. Other advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain present preferred embodiments of my invention-wherein Figure l is a vertical elevation, partlyin cross-section, throu h a roadbed showing my invention applied t ereto;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, but to a smaller scale, and showing a somewhat different form of plate supporting construction' Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in crosssection, at right angles to Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, and to substantially the same scale, showing another form of plate 'supporting construction;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a road construction of the mesh reinforcing type with my invention applied thereto;

Figure 6 is a detail view showin Aa connection between adjacent sections o the dividing plate;

Figure 7 is a perspective View of a dividing plate showing one form of connector applied thereto;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of adjacent end portions of two sections of a dividing plate; and

Figure 9 is an elevation of one form of chair adapted for use with a roadbed formed with mesh reinforcing.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 designates generally a roadbed of concrete or other suitable road material. Disposedy at intervals longitudinally of the road are chairs 5 formed of suitable metal. Each of suchchairs is provided with legs 6 adapted to be inserted into the subsoil to hold the chairs in place prior to pouring of the concrete. Adapted to be supported by the chairs are longitudinally extending reinforcing bars 4. The chairs are provided with portions adapted to overlie the bars and to be secured to them in any suitable manner as by bending the chairs around the bars, by Welding the chairs and bars together or by the use of separate fastening means such as spring clips. In

the construction shown in Figures l and 4,

the chairs are of a type which may conveniently be welded tothe bars. In the construction shown in Figure 2, the chair is shown bent around the bars to establish a firm supporting connection.

Adapted to be embedded in the upper portion of the roadbed and to be supported by the chairs 5 is a dividing plate 7. This dividing plate comprises an upstanding leg 8 and a leg 9 connected to the leg 8 and extending substantially at right angles there` to. The depth of the plate 7 is substantially less than the depth of the roadbed 2. Adapted to cooperate with the longitudinally eX- tending bars 4 and with the plate 7 in order to reinforce the roadbed are laterally extending dowels 3. These dowels underlie the bars 4 and pass through suitable holes l() provided in the upstanding leg 8 of the plate 7. Each of the holes l0, as shown in Figures 5 and7, is provided with a portion oi suiicient size to loosely receive a dowel and an oiset ortion smaller than the rst and of such size that the dowel must be forced into it. The dowel is first threaded through the portion of larger size and then is forced laterally into the smaller portion whereby to effect a wedging engagement between the dowel, the plate and the bars 4.

In forming the road the chairs 5 are disposed at intervals along its proposed center line, the longitudinally extending bars put in place and supported by the chairs and the plate 7 laid in place, all behind the road material mixer, that is, on the material Vreceiving side thereof and before the mixer has passed over such portion of the road to pour the concrete. On account lof the fact that they extend laterally of the road the dowels 3 are laid in place in front of the mixer, that is, on the material discharging side thereof and just prior to pouring. For this reason the provision of the holes 10 in the plate 7 is of particular advantage as the insertion and connection of the dowels with the plate and the bars 4 may be very quickly and easily effected. The dowels need merely to be threaded through the holes 10, passing beneath the bars 4, and then wedged later-y ally into the smaller portions of such holes, such lateral movement also tending to force the dowels upwardly and against the bars 4 at the same time as it effects a tight wedging engagement of the dowels with the plate. This insures eective positioning of the dowels parallel to the subgrade, as the bars 4 are both the same distance above the subgrade and parallel thereto.

By reason of the fact that the plate 7 extends downwardly through only a portion of the depth of the roadbed, the plate supporting portion of each of the chairs 5 does not extend downwardly any substantial distance toward the bottom of the roadbed as in prior constructions. Each of the chairs 5 is provided with a flat plate supporting portion upon which the leg 9 of the plate rests. In the construction shown in Figure 2 the chair is provided with an L-shaped portion adapted to receive the corner of the plate and to more eectively maintain it in place.

To assist in maintaining the plate in place it is provided at intervals with holes 11 in the leg 9. A pin 12 is inserted through each of such holes and driven into the subsoil. I provide a pin having a tapered upper portion 13 so that it Vwill exert a wedging action on the plate to more rmly maintain it in position.

The chairs, bars, plate and dowels are fixed in position and the concrete then poured around the same. The upper portion of the vconcrete is effectively posltively divided by the plate. Thelower portion, however, is not divided -upon pouring but is` weakened along a plane substantially coinciding with the plane of the leg 8 of the plate. If the mass of the concrete\is suticient, it will crack substantially along the line 14 below the plate and extending down to the subsoil. This will eiiect the complete division of the roadbed into segregated masses whereby to eliminate any tendency for cracking upon subsequent expansion and contraction.

The type of road construction illustrated 1n Figures 1- to 4, inclusive, and for which chairs of the type shown in such figures are especially adapted, is what is known in the art as bar reinforcing. Another type of reinforcement is also in general use, being known as mesh reinforcing. In Figure 5 I have shown my invention as embodied in a road construction of the mesh reinforcing type.

. In a' meshreinforcingl construction as shown in Figure 5, asuitable wire mesh 15 is laid on top of the dowels 3 and secured thereto in any suitable manner as by means of wires. As there are no longitudinally extending bars in this type of construction which correspond to the bars 4 in the type of construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, it is necessary to support the dividing plate by lchairs of aI different type than those shown in the said figures. I accordingly provide chairs 16, one of which is shown toenlarged scale in Figure 9. This chair comprises upper and lower bearing portions 17 and 18, respectively, and a curved connecting portion'19.- The upper and lower portions 17 and 18 are provided with coaxial holes 20 and 21, respectively. The inner surface of the portion 19 of the chair has a curvature substantially equal to the curvaturc;1 of the holes 20 and 21 and coaxial therewit The chairs 16 are adapted to be set in place and the plate 7 supported thereupon, the holes 20 and 21 in the chairs being placed in coaxialrelation with the holes 11 in thev J sitioning of the plate and of the chairs, such Y blockspbeing removed before the concrete is poured.

The dividing plate is formed in sections which are adaptedto be laid end to end. I provide novel means for connecting the various sections of the plate, such means being illustrated in Figures 6, `7 and 8. Corresponding slots 23 are formed in the ends of the plate sections which are adapted to come together to form a rectangular opening 24 (Figure 6) at the joint when adjacent plate sections are made to abut. Cooperating with such slots is a U-shaped clamp 25 the cross bar of which is adapted to be inserted into the slot in one of the sections before the other section is laid in place and such second mentioned section is then moved up to abut the first, the U-shaped clamp extending across the joint `and assisting in maintaining the sections in alignment. rIhe clamp is preferably of suiiiciently heavy construction that it will press upon the opposite sides of the plate sections to prevent movement thereof in a lateral direction. The clamp may be hammered down to engage the plates after being inserted or it may have sufiicient inherent resiliency so as to eliminate the necessity of such a step.

Another means of connecting the plate sections may be used either alone or in conjunction with that above described. One end of each plate sectionis provided with an extension or iiap 26 connected to the leg 9 of the plate and extending out longitudinally from the end thereof. This flap is also bent upwardly so that when the adjacent plate sections are brought together it will overlie the end of the leg 9 of the adjacent platesection. The flap 26 and the leg 9 of the adjacent plate section are provided with holes 27, which, when the plate sections are brought together, are in alignment. A pin 12 is driven through the aligned holes and into the subsoil to maintain the plates in position. A chair 16 may be disposed beneath and i-n alignment with the holes 27.

My invention is equally applicable for road construction when a road is built in half sections, with either bar or mesh reinforcing. It is often necessary to provide for the movement of tratlic over roads under construction and under such circumstances one side of the road must be completed before construction of the other side is commenced. In a construction of this nature the arrangement of the chairs, dividing plate and longitudinally extending bars, if used, is substantially the same as abov`e described. The use of the dowels, however, is :tered somewhat as they ordinarily extend a considerable distance -on each side of the vcenter line, and provision must be made for leaving the side of the road not being constructed entirely unobstructed. A road form is placed along the road to conline the concrete to the side being constructed and the dividing plate positioned adjacent the road form and with the end of the leg 9 thereof touching the form. This provides space between the upstanding leg 8 of the plate and the form. The dowels are passed through the holes 10 and bent at right angles so that one-half of each dowel lies in such space until the completion of the first half of the road, after which the dowels are bent outwardly to permit of their being embedded in the other half when the concrete is poured therein. The resultant road is, therefore, the same as though it were all poured in one operation. The prima-ry function of the dowels is to hold both halves of the road together and to keep them in the same plane with respect to the subrade.

I thus provide a metho and means for constructing roads which eifectively provide for the segregation of the roadbed into masses small enough to avoid dam age thereto by expansion and contraction and at the same time form a strong and durable road at a cost greatly less than that heretofore required in like constructions.

While I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In a road construction, a dividing plate adapted to be embedded in the roadbed and comprising an upstanding portion, a continuous base portion extending at an angle thereto, and a supporting chair connected with the base portion.

2. In a road construction, a dividing plate comprising a substantiall L-shaped member of substantially contlnuously uniform cross-section adapted to be embedded in the roadbed, and supporting means adapted to underlie and position the plate.

3. In a road construction, a dividing plate having a portion extending generally vertically and having another portion extending generally horizontally, and a chair having a generally horizontal portion adapted to underlie and support the horizontally exv tending portion of the plate.

4. In a road construction, a dividing plate having connected portions disposed at an angle to one another, one of such portions being substantially flat and extending generally in a horizontal direction, and a chair having a flat supporting portion adapted to cooperate with the substantially Hat portion of the plate to support the plate.

5. In a road construction, a dividing plate having a continuous connecting portion extending generally horizontally and provided with holes, supporting means for the plate and connecting means passing through the holes in the plate to maintain it in position.

6. In a road construction, horizontally extending supporting bars, a chair supported thereby and an L-shaped dividing plate one le of which is adapted to rest upon the chair.

g?. In a road construction, a supporting chair, a dividing plate having a substantially horizontally extending portion adapted to rest upon the chair, such portion being provided with holes, and pins extending through 8. In a road construction, a roadbed, horizontally disposed supporting bars in the roadbed extending transversely thereof, a

dividing plate extending downwardly of the roadbed not substantially farther than the supporting bars, and a chair supported by the bars and underlying the plate.

9. In a road construction, a roadbed, generallyvhorizontally extending supporting bars in the roadbed, a chair supported thereby and having a substantially L-shaped plate supporting portion, and a substantially L- .shaped plate adapted to rest upon and be supported by the chair at such portion.

10. In a road construction, a dividing plate provided with holes, means for supporting the plate, and pins insertable in such holes and having tapered upper portions adapted to exert a wedging action on the plate for securely maintaining the plate in place.

11. In a road construction, a dividing plate having a generally horizontally extending portion provided with holes and pins insertable in such holes and having ared upper portions for securely maintaining the plate 1n place.

12. In a road construction, a dividing plate having a generally vertically extending portion, such portion being provided with holes .for the reception of supporting bars, each of such holes having a portlon of such size as to freel receivea supporting bar and having an o set portion into which the bar is adapted to be forced to positively connect'the plate and bar.

13. In a road construction, a dividing plate, a sup orting bar therefor, the plate being provi ed with a hole for receiving the supporting bar, such hole having a portion of such size as to freely receive the bar and hav ing another portion of such size as to tightly receive the bar and into which the bar is adapted to be forced to establish a firm connectlon between the plate and bar.

14. In a road construction, a dividing plate and a supporting chair therefor having upper and lower bearing pgrtions and a vertically extending horizontally curved intermediate portion joining such bearing portions.

15. In a road construction, a dividing plate havin a hole therein, a supporting chair for the pte having upper and lower bea-rin portions provided with coaxial holes adapted to be aligned with the hole in the plate and a pin extending through all of such holes, the chair having a portion intermediate such bearing portions adapted to embrace the pin.

16. In a road construction, a dividing plate having a generally horizontally extending portion provided with a hole, a supporting chair underlying the plate and having a hole adapted to be aligned with and lie against the hole in the plate, and a pin extending through such holes, the chair having a portion adapted to embrace the pin.

17. In a road construction, a dividing plate composed of sections having legs angularly disposed with respect to one another, such sections being adapted to be laid end to end, a section having a longitudinal extension on one of its legs adapted to overlap the corresponding leg of the adjacent section, and means for connecting the sections.

18. In a road construction, a dividin plate composed of sections adapted to be laid end `to end, the adjacent ends of a pair of such sections being provided with generally longitudinally extending slots, and connecting means passing through such slots and embracing the sections to hold them vin alignment.

19. In a road construction, a dividing plate `composed ofsections adapted to be laid end sections bein provided with corresponding.

slots, and a -shaped clamp adapted to have its cross bar contained within such slots, the clamp bearing at opposite sides against the sections to maintain them in alignment.

21. In a road construction, a dividing plate composed-of sections adapted to lbe laid end to end, such sections having overlapping portions, the sections also having corresponding slots, and connecting means passing through such slots and embracing the sections for maintaining them in alignment.

22. In a road construction, a dividing plate composed of sections adapted to be laid end to end, such sections having their end faces abutting throughout a substantial portion thereof and having overlapping portions provided with coaxial holes through which connecting means are adapted to pass.

23. In a road construction, a dividing plate having a portion provided with a hole, a supporting chair for the plate having a hole adapted to be aligned withthe hole in the plate, and a pin extending through the holes, g the chair having a portion adapted to emplate supported bythe chair, and a pin passing through the holes for maintaining the dividing plate in place.

` 26. In a road construction, a ianged dividing plate, a chair having upper and lower bearing portions, and a retaining pin passing through the ange of the plate and through both of the bearing portions of the chair.

27. In a road construction, a chair for supportinga dividing plate having an upright body portion and upper andlower bearin portions connected to the body portion and extending laterali therefrom.

In testimony W ereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK R. WILSON. 

